Latest news with #IsaiahThomas
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
2025 NBA mock drafts: Will Houston keep its ‘Mr. Irrelevant' pick — and who might it be?
Much of the fixation for the Houston Rockets is on their No. 10 overall draft pick in the NBA's 2025 first round, which takes place on June 25. Illinois guard Kasparas Jakucionis is among the more popular early projections. But they also have another selection in the second round on the following day, June 26. Advertisement Via Oklahoma City, the Rockets currently own the final pick in the 2025 second round at No. 59 overall. (There are usually 60 picks in each draft, with one initially slotted each of the league's 30 teams in both rounds, but the New York Knicks had their 2025 second-round selection voided for tampering.) Because the Thunder had the NBA's best record in the 2024-25 season, that means their pick is 'Mr. Irrelevant,' as the saying goes. While expectations are low out of that draft slot, it's not unprecedented for it to lead to a significant contributor. Isaiah Thomas was 'Mr. Irrelevant' in the 2011 draft, and he averaged 11.5 points (37.9% on 3-pointers) and 4.1 assists per game as a rookie before eventually becoming a two-time NBA All-Star. So, who might the Rockets take at No. 59 (assuming they keep the pick)? Here's a roundup of what the latest mock draft projections are currently showing. Advertisement Additional statistics and prospect information is available at Tankathon. Many prospects selected late in the second round tend to be either international (for stash purposes, since they can potentially play at least one more season overseas and not immediately take up an NBA roster spot) or of advanced age. Because younger collegiate prospects are often perceived to have more upside, they tend to go higher in the order. But in the event that an older player is selected, they might be more ready to contribute in the near future, since they have more experience playing at a high level in college. More: 2025 NBA mock drafts: Illinois guard Kasparas Jakucionis frequently linked to Rockets This article originally appeared on Rockets Wire: 2025 NBA mock drafts: Will the Rockets keep the 'Mr. Irrelevant' pick?
CBS News
23-05-2025
- CBS News
School District of Philadelphia paid nearly $700,000 to bad actors in cyber fraud scheme
The School District of Philadelphia appears to have been hit with a cyber fraud scheme that resulted in nearly $700,000 being diverted, authorities said. City Controller Christy Brady made a joint announcement on Thursday with Councilmember Isaiah Thomas and District Superintendent Tony Watlington. According to the release from the Office of the City Controller of Philadelphia, one of the payments totaled more than $560,000 for services involving flood damage repair work, and three other payments were made for compensatory services. Brady said during fiscal year 2024, malicious actors apparently posed as two legitimate vendors and were sent money electronically using an automated clearing house. "Based on the information provided to our office, it appears the bad actors gained unauthorized access to the school district's banking data or manipulated existing payment systems to send unauthorized funds to their own accounts," Brady said. The real vendors didn't get the funds. So far, those payments have not been recovered. "We want to ensure taxpayer dollars are dedicated to meeting educational needs and enriching students' experiences," Thomas said in the release. "We are committed to full transparency in the spending and management of tax dollars. The public has a right to know how their money is being used." The fraud was limited to specific vendor payment processes and did not put student data or the school system's financial data system at risk, a news release from the school district said. Neither incident involved the school district paying more than it owed to the vendors, according to the district. Brady said she has asked the Pennsylvania attorney general to investigate. A spokesperson for the School District of Philadelphia said the district implemented several measures to combat cyber fraud, such as revising bank confirmation processes, improving the process to validate payment changes with vendors, and strengthening internal controls. "I strongly value collaboration and grateful for the continued support of the school district and governing officials," Brady said. "By working together, we will assist the school district in recovering any available funds and implementing safeguards to prevent future fraud."
USA Today
15-05-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Boston Celtics alum Jeff Teague on Isaiah Thomas, Dennis Schroder tiff in '16 playoffs
Boston Celtics alum Jeff Teague on Isaiah Thomas, Dennis Schroder tiff in '16 playoffs Long before he would join the Boston Celtics backcourt, vet guard Dennis Schroder once had himself quite the encounter with Celtics fan favorite floor general Isaiah Thomas. Back when the King in the Fourth was still terrorizing Boston's opponents with his lightening-quick first step, IT and the Celtics collided with Schroder and the Atlanta Hawks in the 2016 NBA Playoffs. Another future Celtic on that roster (there were several former or future Boston players on the team as well, including a trio of Celtics big alumni Mike Muscala, Kris Humphries, and Al Horford), Jeff Teague, recently recounted on his "Club 520" podcast an altercation between Thomas and Schroder he just couldn't help but smile about in retrospect despite the on-court violence it entailed. Take a look at the clip embedded below to hear what he had to say about the fight between the Pizza Guy and the German point guard for yourself.
Yahoo
05-04-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Celtics break Warriors' 3-point NBA record, on track to set new milestones
Celtics break Warriors' 3-point NBA record, on track to set new milestones originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston The Boston Celtics broke one of the NBA's 3-point records in Friday's game versus the Phoenix Suns, and it probably won't be the only one they set during their historic season from beyond the arc. Advertisement The Celtics have passed the 2022-23 Golden State Warriors for the most 3-pointers made by one team in a single season. The Warriors' record was 1,363 and the Celtics currently stand at 1,364 and counting after Payton Pritchard's second-quarter 3-pointer with five games left in the regular season. The C's came close to breaking the Warriors' record last season but came up 13 short. !function(){'use strict'; 0!== e= t in r,i=0;r=e[i];i++)if( d= Back in 2016-17, Isaiah Thomas set the Celtics record for most 3-pointers made in a season with 245. Derrick White broke this record on Monday, and it's likely Jayson Tatum and Payton Pritchard will surpass Thomas before the regular season concludes. Advertisement Barring a surprise downturn in the Celtics' 3-point shooting, they are on track to break two more 3-point records. The Utah Jazz set the record for most 3-point shots made per game with 16.74 during the 2020-21 season, and the Celtics are at 17.9 per game. The Houston Rockets set the record for most 3-point attempts per game with 45.38 in the 2018-19 campaign, and the Celtics are at 48.5 per game. The Celtics have ranked first or second in both 3-pointers made and attempted per game every season since Joe Mazzulla took over as head coach in 2022. His 3-point-heavy strategy has produced fantastic results. Boston reached the NBA Finals in 2022 and 2024 (won the title) and Game 7 of the 2023 Eastern Conference Finals. Advertisement It's very difficult to beat the Celtics when they're firing on all cylinders from beyond the arc. The C's have made 15 or more 3-pointers in 62 of their 75 games so far this season, and they've won 48 of those matchups. If the Celtics continue to hit 17.9 3-pointers per game throughout the 2025 NBA playoffs, it's hard to imagine any team beating them four times in a seven-game series.
Forbes
05-04-2025
- Sport
- Forbes
Boston Celtics Break NBA Record For Most 3-Pointers In A Season
In what has become a record-setting year for various NBA title contenders, the Boston Celtics are joining the party. There are new perimeter kings in the building, taking that label away from the Bay Area. The Celtics have broken the NBA's all-time record for most 3-pointers made in a season, surpassing the Golden State Warriors' mark of 1,363 set during the 2022-23 campaign. This comes just a few days after Derrick White overtook Isaiah Thomas for the most individual threes in a season in Celtics' franchise history. Boston claimed the latest record in the second quarter of Friday's game versus the Phoenix Suns. For context on how impressive this feat is, consider the fact we still have a week remaining in the NBA schedule. The Celtics have five games left, meaning they could destroy this number for the time being. Currently averaging 17.8 made threes per game, they have a chance to blow past the Warriors' mark by 100 or more. Plus, considering how intentional and extreme the Celtics have been with adjusting their shot profile to stay ahead of the curve, there's no guarantee other teams will take enough to catch them. Boston entered Friday 156 threes ahead of the Cleveland Cavaliers, who rank second in the league with 1,200 makes. It's the largest gap between the first and second-place teams since the 2018-19 Rockets, who were 218 ahead of the Milwaukee Bucks. Those were the same Rockets that famously ditched the concept of playing traditional centers by trading Clint Capela at the deadline, leaning into small-ball lineups that spaced the floor and launched from deep. This isn't just a matter of high volume for the Celtics, either. For the third straight year, they are top 10 in perimeter efficiency, per Cleaning The Glass. Heat map of the Boston Celtics' shot profile 2024-25 Season But yes, they do take a large proportion of their shots from downtown. In fact, this is the first time in NBA history a team has taken at least 50% of its shots from 3-point range. Filtering out garbage time, the Celtics are seven percentage points higher than second place in 3-point volume this season. There's a reason for it, too. When the coaching staff experienced an overhaul in September 2022, the identity shifted. And it has led to an offensive juggernaut that stresses – and stretches – opponents beyond their limits. Joe Mazzulla, finishing up his third season as Celtics head coach, is perhaps the most ruthless competitor on NBA sidelines. He doesn't care one iota about the league's ratings concern, or how aesthetically unpleasant their offense might be compared to past eras. The only two things he's focused on? Stacking wins and figuring out the best equation that yields playoff success, regardless of the opponent. When asked about the Celtics leaning into this perimeter-based approach, he kept things simple. 'Red Auerbach said it best,' Mazzulla began. 'Rebounding is the second most important thing (in basketball). The first is shooting.' Boston embraces the identity it has built. Their offensive system isn't predicated on jacking threes with no rhyme or reason. This isn't the Mike D'Antoni Rockets that finished 20% of their possessions with isolation attempts. The Celtics offer a stylistic blend of drive-and-kick offense, off-ball screening, and mismatch hunting out of ball-screens that every successful offense has featured in the modern era. With the deadly lineup options Boston has – and the luxury of both Kristaps Porzingis and Al Horford shooting the lights out as centers – most of their actions inevitably lead to threes. That's precisely why Boston is a matchup problem for nearly every opponent, but especially those with traditional drop-coverage big men. The Celtics are going to force them to move on the perimeter and cover an exceptional amount of ground. And, no, they will not budge from that identity. Since Mazzulla took over, there have been 198 instances of Boston knocking down at least 15 threes in a game. That's 61 more times than the next-highest team, Golden State. The Celtics have won 163 of those games, translating to an 82.3% winning percentage. In other words – over the course of a standard season, they are a 67-win team (based on performance) when making at least 15 threes. Extend it to 20 makes, which is no longer a rarity for this franchise, and it's even more ridiculous. The Celtics are 53-6 under Mazzulla when drilling at least 20 threes, including playoffs. That's a better winning percentage than the famous 73-9 Warriors. You've likely heard over the last few months just how 'detrimental' this play style is for the popularity of the sport. And it couldn't be further from the truth. It's flat-out silly to suggest television ratings have dropped because of the NBA's 3-point revolution, mostly because it ignores the impact of cable-cutters and illegal streaming that's running rampant across the sports world. There's a heavy proportion of viewers that aren't being captured by the metrics. Also, there's only one particular group that's irritated by Boston's shot chart. It's the old heads. The ones who think it's a smarter offensive decision to pass up wide-open threes in favor of contested mid-range looks, or ineffective post-ups. The NBA – and its broadcast partners – never do themselves any favors by having older generation stars dominate the conversation on national television. When fans are incorrectly being told how much worse the game is today versus the 1990s and 2000s … that doesn't seem to be a logical way of boosting viewership. The truth is, Boston hasn't aimlessly launched threes. It has been strategic. And the way they generate those opportunities is entertaining for basketball junkies. Behind the right personnel moves over the last few summers and smart, detailed coaching, they have unlocked the most competent and reliable offense in the game. Ten months ago, the old adage of 'jumpshooting teams can't win a championship' was demolished, and the Celtics have followed it by taking the crown as 3-point kings. As viewers, we should all just learn to enjoy the difference in styles around the league. I promise, it's more fun that way.
